On Memphis City Schools (Ill Suited)

(Photo: CA)

Memphis City Schools began its $7 million renovation of Fairview Middle School in Midtown two years ago.

Now, with the redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds gaining speed, MSF developer Henry Turley wants to meet with Supt. Kriner Cash to discuss the school's future because its location would perhaps be more ideal for retail than education--though Turley told the CA that it's not his place to tell MCS what it should do with its buildings.

OK, right.

Consider, however, all the things that are illegal or restricted within so many feet or miles of a school and you'll understand why these facilities (just like churches) can really be a bane to business development. Have you ever seen a major retailer located next to a school? Exactly.

Which is more important--kids or shopping?

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Dakarai Aarons, the CA's education reporter, will leave at the start of August to take a job with Education Week. I wish him well. Aarons is a fine reporter who really tried to do his best on one of the CA's marquee beats.

Did the CA provide him enough support so that he--not others--could delve into the bigger picture stories involving MCS? No, Aarons got stuck dealing mostly with daily minutia. Not that he complained about it, that day-to-day coverage is just as important--or at least, that's what you try to tell yourself everyday.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: In every change of leadership, it's the perogative of the new leader to bring in people that he/she knows to handle certain aspects of the leader's new plan or vision.

To that end, as EyeNews first reported, Dr. Kriner Cash wants to bring in his friend and former colleague, Miami-Dade County Public School Police Department Chief Gerald Darling, to head MCS's new security division. (Though, it is currently illegal for MCS to have police department.)

Already, though, there's some tension about Darling's tenure in Miami--and that really continues the trend of challenges that arise and ultimately hinder MCS when a new administrator brings in old acquaintances.

How many friends of Dr. Carol Johnson ended up in trouble during or at the end of her time? I'm just sayin.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: The Commercial Appeal sued to get the list of the 54 candidates who applied for the job that Dr. Cash won--and they found nothing of real importance.

Meanwhile, the City has counter-sued MCS, claiming that the school district owes the city money for unpaid loans--a charge that MCS soundly refutes. (In fact, MCS says it has paid all of what it owed to the city.)

Round Two, indeed.

Today, though, Shelby County Chancery Court Chanceller Kenny Armstrong is expected to rule on the funding question. Memphis Daily News's Andy Meek lays out the scenario of what could happen:

But even if that’s what the judge decides, City Council attorney Allan Wade has come up with a legal scenario under which the school district apparently wouldn’t get another dime this year.

His logic goes like this: A few weeks ago, Wade said if the city lost in court it probably would have to send out new tax bills to make up the amount of money the council voted to cut. That money would be handed to the school district to get everything back on track, financially speaking.

“We would issue a school tax bill … and when the taxpayers get it, they can do whatever they want to do,” he said at the time. “Because it’s just a pass-through for us. Whatever we levy for (MCS) doesn’t come to us, it goes to them. So if people don’t pay it, they don’t get it.”

But in an unexpected countersuit against MCS filed Tuesday, Wade argued the school district still owes the city of Memphis $152 million because of bond-related funding the city loaned the school district to help pay for construction projects.

So if Armstrong’s ruling forces the city to come up with extra funding for the school district this year, the course of action the city will argue it should be able to pursue is to first levy a new tax bill to raise the money.

Then, rather than give that money to MCS, the city would keep the new funds for itself on grounds the school district owes the city millions in bond funding anyway.

“They owe us the money,” Wade said Tuesday evening about MCS. “We ain’t giving it up. Had they not filed the lawsuit, the city would have gone about its business. But you sue us, we dig for everything you owe us, too. It works both ways.”

In other words, this is a street fight --with broader implications, including the county's desegregation order.

Meanwhile, as the city fights, the county argues and compromises with schools--leaving more energy for innovative thinking. (WMC.)